Hayden Panettiere Opens Up About Brother's Sudden Death

Hayden Panettiere speaks openly about the sudden loss of her brother Jansen, who passed away last year at the age of 28.

In an interview with People for this week's cover, the Cry The actress candidly shared what she went through after her unexpected death in 2023, due to an enlarged heart associated with complications of the aortic valve.

“He was my only brother, and it was my job to protect him,” she told the publication. “When I lost him, I felt like I lost half my soul.”

Shortly after, Panettiere decided she never wanted to leave the house again, especially after paparazzi followed her in the days following her death, even photographing her at her funeral.

“I had to see the horrible paparazzi photos of me leaving Jansen's funeral, which was in a very private place, and it was shocking,” she said. “It brought out my agoraphobia, which is something I've struggled with in the past.”

THE Heroes The actress explained that she had rapid weight gain and was “packing on fat.” This lowered her self-esteem because she “didn't feel confident” wearing clothes and going out, but she knew she had to do it or she “would never stop looking and feeling this way.”

“It’s become a destructive hamster wheel, do I feel well enough to get out?” she added.

Panettiere's publicist helped her get out of her rut when she introduced her to personal trainer Marnie Alton, and everything started to change for the better. She and Alton built an instant trust and connection, and the actress started working out. They would go on long walks where they would talk and essentially have a therapy session while they worked out.

THE Nashville The star noticed that her body began to respond to the changes, not only becoming fitter, but also freeing itself from stress and the expectations it had placed on itself.

Learning to live with the loss of her little brother has given the actress a new perspective on life in general, noting that it has helped her pick her battles and not let little things get to her. “Because once something that horrible, that profound, that catastrophic happens in your life, there’s not a lot that can really shake you,” she said.

Next, Panettiere stars alongside Abbott Elementary School stands out Tyler James Williams in Amber Alertwhich follows a rideshare trip that turns into a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse as the duo chases a car that matches the description of, well, an Amber Alert. While she can’t wait for the film to hit theaters and on demand on September 27, that doesn’t mean she’s completely healed from her brother’s death.

“I will always be grieving this. I will never get over it,” she said. “No matter how many years go by, I will never get over his loss.”